Asteroid City (2023)

Asteroid City is a play within a movie about a grieving father and the random people he comes across while being in Asteroid City.

Written and directed by Wes Anderson, who I've grown to appreciate more in my later years. I thought his first movies were pretentious until someone showed me the meticulousness of his films. It is very prevalent throughout the film that every detail was intentional and the pacing of the film is something to be dissected.

Jason Schwartzman plays a different character than I expected him to play after watching the trailer. He was very grounded and the humor was situational rather than wordplay like in his previous Anderson showings like Rushmore and Moonrise Kingdom.

Scarlett Johansson plays up her acting abilities to play a 1950s actress who has to deal with the climate of the era. She is flawed and knows it, and uses it to her advantage. She hasn't been this good since Lost in Translation.

Maya Hawke is in this film. You might know her from Stranger Things as Robin. She's great in the film and makes me totally forget she's just acting. Perhaps it's because of who her parents are. I look forward to seeing her in the upcoming movie called The Kill Room.

There is so much to unpack with this film it's hard for me to give it a grade. I saw it on Thursday but left some time to gestate in my head where it would lie. I think it's a better film than The Super Mario Bros. Movie for obvious reasons, but I think I enjoyed it less. I'm still going to place it above it though because of how great the film is. Result: A.

Comments

Psycho Killer (2026)

Psycho Killer (2026) is a religious-tinged detective thriller that leans far more into procedural tension than outright horror. Directed by Gavin Polone , who is better known as a producer than a filmmaker, the movie benefits heavily from its screenplay by Andrew Kevin Walker , the writer behind Se7en . His fingerprints are all over this. The writing is sharp, layered with foreshadowing that only fully clicks at the end, and structured in a way that constantly feels like it is building toward something inevitable. The gorgeous Georgina Campbell plays the detective tracking down the titular killer, and she carries the film with confidence. You'll remember her from Barbarian and recently Cold Storage. The script gives her plenty of emotional range to explore, from controlled professionalism to visible cracks under pressure. She handles the lore-heavy exposition well and grounds what could have been overwhelming backstory. It is another strong showing for her and proof she c...

Cold Storage (2026)

Cold Storage (2026) is a sci fi horror thriller that surprised me in a good way. The writing is solid enough that it actually calmed some of my worries about Disclosure Day coming later this year since the same writer is involved. The story holds together and stays engaging, even when the visuals do not. The CG is laughably bad at times, but the acting/chemistry keeps the movie watchable. Jonny Campbell directs, with the screenplay by David Koepp , known for Jurassic Park and Spider-Man . His writing here is tighter than expected, which is why it gives me more confidence about Disclosure Day. The direction is straightforward and lets the script do most of the work, even if the effects budget clearly limits what can be shown on screen. He needs a redemption after Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull. Joe Keery , known for Stranger Things and Free Guy , is the main reason I showed up. He proves he can handle a leading role after Stranger Things and carries the film with a relax...

Movies, Film, and Chili

Search This Blog